Old Friends, New Enemies
by Geonn
Summary: When Darien is asked to help an old friend, he discovers another ghost from his past waiting.
1. The First Chapter

  
Old Friends, New Enemies  
  
  
  
  
Megan Winters sat up in bed, breathing heavily. The nightmare had been a bad one... but it was already fading from her memory. She sighed and felt the sweat that was covering her body. She grumbled and climbed out of bed. In anticipation of the humid night, she had opened the window and worn simply a T-shirt to bed. Unfortunately, she hadn't counted on the nightmare, so all the preparations she had made were pointless.  
  
She went into the bathroom and took a quick shower, just long enough to ensure she didn't stink the next morning, then opened her closet door to find something else to wear for the rest of the night. As she sorted through the clothing, she found a blue-and-white baseball shirt that was tucked on a shelf far in the back. Smiling, she picked up the shirt and unfolded it.  
  
Just above the large number 7 on the back, in capital blue letters, was the name: Fawkes. She smiled, remembering the man who had worn this. She sniffed it, imagining she could smell his aftershave after all these years. She slipped the shirt over her head and turned off the light. As she crawled back into bed, she wondered what Darien Fawkes was up to after all this time.  
  
~~*~~*~~*~~  
  
A guy by the name of Austin O'Malley once said, "Show me a genuine case of platonic friendship and I'll show you two old or homely faces." Now, I had never been accused of being old or homely... and neither had Megan Winters. In fact, she had been the homecoming queen at our high school. And, to tell the truth, I had never wanted our friendship to be... strictly platonic. But she had always shot me down, every time I tried to get any farther than an innocent kiss...  
  
...well, except for that one time... but I won't dwell on that. Prom does strange things to a person's hormones.  
  
~~*~~*~~*~~  
  
Eberts turned the page in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. He raised his eyebrows and said, "Wow."  
  
"Down, Eberts," the Official warned.  
  
The door opened and Fawkes walked in, followed by Hobbes. The Official looked up and said, "Do you know what punctual means?!"  
  
Darien frowned. "Punctual... uh, that means inspired by Punk rock, right?"  
  
"No," Hobbes shook his head, "Punctual... that's when someone's speaking with a lot of puns, you know... like military intelligence, bright darkness, tangible mirage..."  
  
"Those are oxymorons."  
  
"You callin' me a moron, Fawkes?"  
  
"No..."  
  
"QUIET!" The Official roared. Eberts jumped a bit. "It means you are ON TIME when I call you and you sit down immediately and hear what I have to say! NOW SIT!"  
  
Darien and Hobbes both sat immediately. Eberts handed Bobby the magazine he'd been reading earlier. "I believe you remember Ms. Leila Bach," he said.  
  
Darien picked up the magazine and looked at the cover. Leila was perched on a rock out-cropping, wearing a seashell dress and little more. "Oh, yeah. I remember her."  
  
Eberts continued, "She's in town for a photo shoot and believes her life is in danger."  
  
"In danger? Why?"  
  
Eberts produced a black rose and several slips of paper from his suit jacket. He placed the rose on the desk and read one of the papers. "'My dearest Leila, I dream of you at night. The coldness of death can not keep me from you. I have returned to reunite with you, my love.' It's signed... Claude."  
  
Darien looked up from the magazine. "Wait.... You don't mean Claude Escoffier?"  
  
Bobby added, "The Chameleon?"  
  
"That's impossible. I... I killed him. He's dead."  
  
The Official nodded. "That's what we know. But what we know NOW, is that Leila is receiving death threats from someone claiming to be the Chameleon."  
  
Darien nodded, "Yeah, but this isn't him. It's someone pretending to be Claude."  
  
Hobbes turned. "How do you know?"  
  
"These letters are hand-written."  
  
"Good work, Sherlock. I think we can close the case, Chief."  
  
"That's not what I meant... Leila's blind. Everyone knows that. If this really was Claude the letters would be in braille so she could read it."  
  
The Official raised an eyebrow. "Good work, Fawkes."  
  
"I have been doing this for almost a year. I pick up stuff."  
  
"Yeah," Hobbes muttered, "Pick it up from me..."  
  
The Official said, "It seems that Ms. Bach has pleasant memories of this Agency and specifically asked for Agents Fawkes and Hobbes to be assigned to protect her."  
  
Darien smiled. "Hey, they're requesting us now... that's always fun."  
  
---  
  
The next day, Megan wore Darien's baseball shirt underneath her blouse and suit jacket. She entered the apartment of her employer, picking up the mail as she did. "I'm here," she announced.  
  
The bathroom door opened and Leila Bach exited. "Hello, Megan. How are you today?"  
  
"A bit tired."  
  
Leila sighed. "More nightmares?"  
  
"Yeah... It wouldn't be so bad if only I could remember what they were about."  
  
"Maybe it's for the best... maybe you wouldn't want to remember," she made her way to the entertainment center and turned the dial, finding a soft rock station and turning it down so that it was barely audible. She turned and said, "Oh... two friends of mine are stopping by this morning. Federal agents."  
  
"Oh? For the threats?"  
  
"Yeah. I tried not to worry, but..."  
  
"You have a right to be worried, Leila. Those letters were getting weirder and weirder." She put her hand on top of Leila's. "Don't worry. I'm sure whoever it is, they're just a crazy person who needs a little medicine. The government will find them and you'll be safe again."  
  
"I'm sure you're right, Megan. Thanks."  
  
"Of course I'm right. I'm always right," she chuckled.  
  
The intercom buzzed and Megan walked over and pressed the button. "Yes?"  
  
"Uh, Agent Fawkes and Hobbes to see Ms. Bach."  
  
Megan was at a loss for words. She finally responded, "Yeah, uh... come on up." She turned, releasing the button. "Leila... these friends of yours. Is one of them named Darien?"  
  
"Yes. Darien Fawkes. Why?"  
  
"Oh, God... I... Leila, I kind of had a thing with him for a few weeks in high school."  
  
"Really? Do you want to hide out in the bedroom until they leave?"  
  
Megan chewed her bottom lip for a minute, then smiled. "No. I'd kind of like to see his face when he sees me."  
  
---  
  
Darien exited the elevator, oblivious to what awaited him in Leila Bach's apartment. Hobbes reached the door first and hit the doorbell. Darien stuck his hands in his pockets and stopped. "Aw, crap. I left my wallet down in the van."   
  
He turned to retrieve it and Hobbes said, "Don't be long, all right?"  
  
As the elevator doors closed on Darien, the door to Leila's apartment opened and a black-haired woman stepped out. She looked Hobbes up and down and said, "Wow... you've changed."  
  
Hobbes raised an eyebrow. "Pardon? Have we met?"  
  
"Megan. Megan Winters? Come on, Dar-Bear. It hasn't been that long..."  
  
He flashed his badge. "Agent Hobbes. Fawkes is my partner."  
  
Megan's eyes widened. "Oh! Oh, I'm sorry. Come in, please." She stepped out of the way and Hobbes walked in.   
  
Hobbes stepped in and down the two steps of the raised entryway and looked around the spacious apartment. To his left was a plate-glass window, overlooking a park. A grand piano sat in front of the window, although Hobbes doubted anyone ever played it. To his right was a sofa, three chairs and a fireplace with a fire roaring. Soft music was playing, but it was in the background, unobtrusive. At first he thought it was weird that there was no TV to be found until he remembered what made Leila Bach so famous.  
  
"Nice place you have here."  
  
Leila came through a doorway that probably led to a kitchen with a huge smile on her face. "Agent Hobbes?"  
  
"How you doing, Leila?"  
  
"Just fine. Where's Darien?"  
  
"Uh, he forgot his wallet down in the van. He'll be right up."  
  
"Good. I assume you've met my assistant, Megan."  
  
"Sure have."  
  
The intercom buzzed again and Megan hit the button without speaking. When she released the button, she sighed, "Let's see if I can do it right this time."  
  
Hobbes walked over to Leila and motioned at Megan. "What's that all about?"  
  
"Megan was friends with Darien in high school."  
  
"A-ha."  
  
---  
  
Darien rang the doorbell and stood patiently, waiting for an answer. The door opened... and he froze. She was just a few inches shorter than him now... she must've had a growth spurt after high school. Her long, silky black hair was tied in a loose ponytail that hung across her left shoulder. Her beautiful cobalt blue eyes shone behind the wire-rimmed glasses she wore. She was wearing a red dress that showed off the legs Darien had always admired in high school.  
  
She smiled and said, "I guess you do remember me, Dar-Bear."  
  
Darien was speechless. "Megan..." And, in an instant, it all came rushing back to him...  
  
~~~~~~  
1989  
~~~~~~  
  
Darien Fawkes stood outside the window to the chemistry lab, rubbing his freezing hands together. He prayed Kevin had followed through on his promise... He sighed and grabbed the window frame, heaving it upward. It slid up effortlessly. He exhaled and breathed a quiet thank-you to his brother for leaving the window open. Ever since Kevin had been transferred to this school for it's superior science programs, Darien had begged him to do this. Looks like old Kev had finally come through. He opened the window as wide as it would go and crawled through, into the lab.   
  
His shoes made a loud thump as he landed on the tile of the school's floor and he winced. He made his way through the dark lab and found the door of the room. Turning it slowly, he pulled it open and slid through. He crouched in the hallway for a moment, shining his flashlight both ways. He had virtually memorized the lay-out of the school from a map he had gotten from the school's office and only had to get his bearings to finish his job.  
  
He crept down the hallway, turning the flashlight off and relying on the soft-glow of the security lights that spilled in through the window. He reached a corner and cautiously poked his head around. Of course no one was there; it was one a.m. on a Friday morning. Quiet as a cat, he made his way down the main corridor of the school and found his destination: LOCKER ROOMS. He pulled the door handle, relieved to find it had been left open.  
  
He stepped into the locker room and kicked something, which clattered across the floor. He cringed, dropping to the floor and grabbing what he had kicked. When it had grown silent once more, he shone his flashlight on his hand and saw a chain. A chain which had obviously been cut through with a handsaw.  
  
Darien stood and looked deeper into the locker room. Directly in the beam of his flashlight was the object of his affection. A green, six-foot tall Bear, enclosed in a glass case. More precisely, the Townsend Bear, the mascot of the Townsend, California, football team. A team which needed a win that night. He walked forward, placing his hand on the glass. It was the championship game... his final one of high school... and he was going to make sure he won. He reached for the panel to open the glass case...  
  
...and was immediately tackled by someone. He fell forward, smacking his head against the wall, and hit the ground. His attacker rolled over him, then sat up, straddling his chest. Darien shined his light up... into the beautiful face of a teenage girl. "Aw..."  
  
"Crap," she finished. "What are you doing here?"   
  
"I'm going to steal the bear!"  
  
"Wrong, buddy. I'm going to steal the bear."  
  
"Over my dead body."  
  
"It can be arranged," she hissed.   
  
"Look," he suggested, "What high school do you go to?"  
  
"JFK."  
  
"Me too! What if we BOTH brought in the bear?"  
  
She laughed quietly, keeping her voice low. "Are you kidding me? The person who brings this bear is going to be a legend! Why should I share that with you?"  
  
"There are lots of legends about partners. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid... Bonnie and Clyde..."  
  
"Julius and Ethyl Rosenberg."  
  
"They were put to death."  
  
"My point exactly. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a bear to steal." She crawled off of him and walked over to where the bear was hanging. Darien stood and glanced towards the door. The beam of a flashlight played on the floor and he could hear footsteps. He grabbed the girl and pulled her away from the bear, sliding behind a locker. She began to protest, "What the hell--"  
  
He covered her mouth with his hand and shushed her as the door opened and a man walked in, keys jangling from a ring on his belt. It was a janitor. He swung the flashlight around, illuminating different corners before settling it on the bear suit. He finally gave up and walked back to the door, bending to pick up the chain. He muttered, "Damn kids..." He closed the door and they could hear him tie the doors shut once more, locking it with a new padlock.  
  
When his footsteps retreated back down the hall, the girl got up and ran to the door. As Darien had suspected, it was locked tightly. She cursed and stomped her foot. "Great. Now how do we get out?"  
  
Darien stood. "I know a way... but we'd have to leave the bear suit."  
  
"No way. I came for that suit and I'm gonna get it."  
  
Darien grabbed her arm. "You want to explain what you're doing locked in here to whoever unlocks that door in the morning? Now you can either come with me... or stay here. Either way... you ain't getting that bear suit."  
  
She chewed her lip for a moment, then finally gave in. "Fine. How do we get out?"  
  
Darien walked across the locker room and found Locker number 101. He pulled it open and peered inside. A black box was laying in the back, and he reached in and pulled it out. "Good ol' Kevin..." Popping the latch on the box, he withdrew a screwdriver and walked to the large air vent on the wall. Kneeling next to it, he unscrewed the panel and pulled it away. "The air vents are bigger because they need more air circulation in here after games... they turn them off when the room isn't in use because it uses too much power."  
  
"How do you know all this?"  
  
"I'm training to become a cat burglar when I grow up." He crawled into the vent and she reluctantly followed.  
  
A few minutes later, they found themselves standing on the roof of the school. "There's an access ladder on the other side of the building we can go down that."  
  
"Not this time, handsome," she said, leaning forward and kissing him hard on the lips. "Maybe we'll see each other at school." She winked and ran to the side of the building, jumping over the edge. Darien ran over and looked down. He saw a covered walkway just below him and the girl was running down the metal cover. When she reached the end, she shimmied down a support and hit the ground. She looked up at him and smiled before running across the tennis courts... to freedom.  
  
~~~~~~  
Present Day  
~~~~~~  
  
"Megan..."  
  
"You gonna come in, or are you just going to say my name over and over?"  
  
Darien blinked and entered, his eyes not leaving Megan as he did. "Wow... I, uh... I thought we'd never see each other again."  
  
Hobbes smirked, "Didja know, Dar-Bear?"  
  
Darien winced. "Aw, man. Did you have to tell him about Dar-Bear?"  
  
"Yep," she laughed. "You wanna tell him where it came from?"  
  
"No. What are you doing here?"  
  
Leila answered, "She's my new personal assistant. Now, if I had known she knew you... we could've had all kinds of interesting conversations."  
  
Darien held up his hands, "All right, all right... My personal life is off-limits as of right now, okay? Can we please deal with the situation at hand?"  
  
Megan stifled another laugh and said, "Of course... Down to business... I'm not sure I like the new Darien."  
  
"Well get used to him, sister. He's here to stay." He winked at her and picked up the death threats off the table.  



	2. The Second Chapter

  
  
Chapter 2  
  
  
  
"First of all... why aren't the notes in braille?"  
  
Megan shrugged. "Maybe whoever sent them knows that I read all of Leila's mail. I mean, it's not a big secret."  
  
"It's true, Darien. Most of my mail is written. To tell the truth... I can barely even read braille."  
  
Darien nodded. "All right... answers one question. The stalker is someone who knows you well enough to know most of your mail isn't braille."  
  
"Good point," Megan said, "Wow... He's like a real-life agent, isn't he, Leila?"  
  
Leila chuckled.  
  
"Can we move past this? Please?"  
  
Megan smiled, "Okay, we're embarrassing him now. Do you want to check out Leila's security?"  
  
"Sure." Megan led the way out of the living room and into Leila's spacious bedroom. Hobbes followed, checking the windows for any sign of weakness. Megan leaned on the dresser and smiled. "The great Darien Fawkes..."  
  
Darien turned and saw how she was leaning against the dresser, her hands crossed over her chest and a large smile on her lips. The past rushed back to him once more...  
  
~~~~~~  
1989, the championship game  
~~~~~~  
  
"The great Darien Fawkes."  
  
He turned away from the field at the mention of his name over the din of cheers and whooping. "You!" It was the girl from the night before, only now she was dressed in a light blue sweater and had her hair up in a ponytail. She was leaning on the railing, arms crossed over her chest and a large smile on her lips. She tapped her boot on the concrete floor. Darien said, "You, uh... have me at a disadvantage. How do you know my name?"  
  
"I asked around."   
  
"Oh, yeah? How'd you describe me? Handsome, tall, athletic... did you say that I had an intoxicating stare that you just couldn't get out of your head?"  
  
"No... I said I was looking for a goofball with bad hair. All signs pointed to you."  
  
Darien bit back his snide comment and turned back to the field. "I see the bear made it to the game unscathed."  
  
"Unfortunately. But I have a back-up plan, if you're interested."  
  
"What makes you think I still want to do anything? Besides, it's too late. The game's already started."  
  
"It's never too late for a good prank... or a good distraction. You in or out?"  
  
"On one condition. What's your name?"  
  
"Megan Winters. Now come on. We don't have much time before half-time." She grabbed his hand and dragged him away.  
  
---  
  
The Bear, otherwise known as Scott Graham, removed the oversized head of his suit and dropped into a folding chair. He was getting over-heated in the damn thing... He laid his head against the wall and closed his eyes. He was just about relaxed when he heard giggling. He stood up, opening the door to the locker room a crack. A girl was laughing... but what was a girl doing in the boy's locker room? He quietly entered and listened.  
  
The girl said, "Shh! We're gonna get caught!"  
  
"You're the one who wanted to do it in a public place."  
  
Scott smiled. He was about to surprise two people in a loving embrace of the worse kind... Finally, the Bear would have someone to make fun of! The attention would be taken off of the kid in the giant Bear-suit and turned on the kids who had gotten caught with their pants down in the locker room. Timing his entrance just right, Scott jumped around the corner and said, "Gotcha!"  
  
Megan was sitting on the bench, looking at her fingernails. She smiled at him and said, "Hi." Scott was disappointed to see she was fully dressed.   
  
Darien stepped around the corner and grabbed Scott, wrestling him to the ground. Megan jumped up and said, "Help me get him out of this suit..."  
  
---  
  
The third quarter started and the Bears got the ball. But the mascot was nowhere to be seen. Darien and Megan came out of the locker room, Darien dressed only in his boxers. He shook his head. "I don't know about this, Megan... I'm getting a little nervous."  
  
"Stage fright? Come on, Darien. You're wearing boxers, aren't you? You don't have any reason to be embarrassed." She handed him the Bear's head and said, "Now go out there and humiliate the Bears."  
  
Darien sighed and put the head on. He stood in the entrance to the field, preparing himself. Right before he ran out onto the field, Megan hooked her thumbs in the waistband of his shorts. When Darien took off... so did his boxers.  
  
He was halfway out onto the field before he felt the draft. He turned to see Megan twirling his tattered boxers on her index finger, laughing hysterically. Darien turned back to the field... to see what looked like every person on the planet earth frozen in time. Darien, underneath the furry bear head, muttered, "Aw, crap."  
  
As he took off for the end zone, the Bears defensive line took off as well. Darien ran as fast as his feet would carry him, almost losing his footing a couple of times before finally clearing the goalpost. He ducked through the player's entrance and slid into a janitor's office, slamming the door behind him. He held tightly to the knob as he felt the earth tremble; the players were running past.  
  
When all was silent again, Darien breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the door. Only to see a janitor seated in the back of the office, chewing on a sandwich. The janitor shook his head. "These damn mascot costumes are gettin' worse every year."  
  
~~~~~~  
Present Day  
~~~~~~  
  
Darien grumbled, "You know, I was the laughinstock of the school after that..."  
  
"After what," she asked innocently. "And, I know... we went to the same school. I especially enjoyed the full-color lay-out in the school paper the next day: Local Student Disgraces School With Childish Prank."  
  
"You didn't hear what the principal wanted to do... A line-up."  
  
"You're kidding."  
  
"She said that using the photos taken that night as guides, she could pinpoint the exact student who had shamed the school. All she needed was for every boy at school to drop trou in her office."  
  
"Is that why she was fired?"  
  
"Partly."  
  
"And it doesn't matter... you made sure they found out who it was."  
  
Megan chuckled.  
  
Hobbes turned. "What the hell are you two talking about?"  
  
"Nothing, Bobby... just an embarrassing moment from my past."  
  
Megan checked her watch and said, "Look... Leila and I haven't had breakfast yet. Maybe we could grab a bite at the cafe across the street?"  
  
Darien shrugged. "What the heck..."  
  
---  
  
The outdoor cafe was nearly empty when they arrived; ten o'clock was the dead hour between breakfast and lunch rushes. The four of them were seated immediately and the waitress approached, casually taking their orders. Once the orders were placed, they were alone once more.  
  
Megan was the first to speak up. "May I ask who Claude is? You guys seemed to recognize the name on the phone."  
  
Leila answered, "Claude was my boyfriend for two years... it wasn't until I met Darien that I learned he was truly an assassin known as The Chameleon. Darien... unfortunately, killed him in the line of duty."  
  
Darien winced at the mention of Claude Escoffier's death. It had occurred while Darien was quicksilver mad and without control of what he was doing. In any case, it had left the Agency with an extra ten grand in their pockets. He brushed the memory aside and focused on the beautiful woman seated across from him.  
  
She seemed so... together. Completely different from the wild and crazy girl he'd known in high school.  
  
~~~~~~  
1989, the day after the championship game  
~~~~~~  
  
Darien wiped the grease from his hands as he came from the garage and into the kitchen of his aunt and uncle's house. Kevin was sitting at the table, reading a thick book and making notes in a notebook. "Hey, Kev. Homework?"  
  
Kevin muttered, "Nope..."  
  
Darien sighed and opened the fridge. Kevin said, "Oh... by the way... some girl came by to see you earlier. Megan something."  
  
He stood, looking at Kevin. "Megan? Megan Winters?"  
  
"I don't know... She said she'd be waiting at the drive-in until five if you were interested in meeting her. Could you grab me a..." He looked up. Darien was already gone. "Damn it. I swear that guy can disappear sometimes..." He bent over his notebooks and absent-mindedly scribbled the word 'invisible' in the margin.  
  
---  
  
In the small town where Darien lived, 'I'll be at the drive-in' could mean one of two things. One, someone was going to the drive-in movies but not for the double feature. And two, the one Darien figured Megan had meant, they were going to the local drive-in restaurant, Sonic. It consisted of a small building where the food was prepared connected to a long row of parking spaces. Each space was wired with an intercom where you could buzz the kitchen and order your food. A few minutes later, girls in short shorts would skate out and bring you your order.  
  
At this particular Sonic, the kitchen was located at the far end of the lot and the parking spaces were lined up in a row heading out from the building. In the area between the spaces was a small food court-like area where the local high schoolers would congregate to talk about school, the opposite sex and whatever crossed their minds. Every now and then they even ordered.  
  
Darien dropped onto one of the benches and pressed the button for the intercom. A scratchy voice returned, "Welcome to Sonic, how may I help you?"  
  
"Uh, I'd like a Sonic burger, no onions... Sonic fries, a Sonic Dr. Pepper and, uh... Sonic size that for me."  
  
"Total comes to four dollars and eighteen cents."  
  
Darien leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table and looking around at the kids who were hanging out there that particular day. He recognized one group as football players for his high school, rightfully angry at their loss the night before. One particularly large kid punched the table and said, "If I ever find the moron who decided to streak during OUR championship game, I'm gonna pound him! I swear! I'm going to pound him within an inch of his life."  
  
"Better hope they never find out who that was, huh?"  
  
Darien turned. Megan was approaching, smiling as always. She was dressed in a dress so short he was sure it was just a long shirt. Her orange t-shirt, which was a few sizes too small for her, hugged her curves nicely, proclaiming "BRAT" in sparkly letters across her chest. She sat across from him, taking off her sunglasses. "Hey, Dar-Bear."  
  
Darien rolled his eyes. "Oh, good... a nick-name."  
  
Megan chuckled. "Look, I'm sorry. I had every intention of letting you run out there in boxers. But at the last second inspiration struck."  
  
"Some inspiration."  
  
She sighed, looking around. "Look. How about I make it up to you? The movies. My treat."  
  
Darien drummed his fingers on the table, finally looking up to meet her eyes. He sighed. "Why not?"  
  
Megan batted her eyelashes. "No one can resist these baby blues," she winked. The wait-ress then arrived and placed Darien's food on the table. As he pulled a five from his wallet, Megan took a drink from his soda and let her eyes wander the car-hops body. When the girl rolled away, Megan shook her head. "Damn... I wish I could pull off an outfit like that."  
  
Darien laughed. "This coming from the girl wearing a Kleenex and a baby's shirt."  
  
Megan shrugged. "When you got it, flaunt it."  
  
Darien sighed and took a handful of fries. "You're going to be trouble. I know it."  
  
"That's what everyone says when they meet me. So what movie you wanna see?"  
  
~~~~~~  
Present Day  
~~~~~~  
  
The waitress arrived with their food and Megan checked the girl's figure. When she was gone, Megan shook her head sadly. "The requirements for waitresses must be getting easier."  
  
Darien stifled a laugh. "Oh, really. She didn't seem that bad to me. What do you think Hobbes?" Bobby Hobbes was staring across the restaurant. "Bobby? Hey, bud, you all right?"  
  
Through clenched teeth, Hobbes said, "When I give the word... duck."  
  
"The word is duck?"  
  
"No... when I give you the word, I want you to DUCK."  
  
"What's the word then?"  
  
"Forget the word," he grumbled. "We got assassins at ten o'clock."   
  
Darien turned and saw only an old man eating dinner a few tables away. "Hobbes, the guy has a cane... he doesn't seem that threatening."  
  
"He's wearing a Goodwill suit, his haircut looks like it was done by a sheep-shearer and he's eating with a senior-citizen's discount. He's wearing a scuffed watch and his eyeglasses need repaired a few times over."  
  
"So he's retired," Darien said. "He might be short on cash..."  
  
"Check the shoes, Einstein. Those are Louis Vuitton Pony-hair loafers. They go for five-hundred clams at the cheapest."  
  
"And you just happen to know this?"  
  
"No... I went shoe-shopping last week. Happened to glance at a pair. There's no way an old guy on a budget can have shoes that nice."  
  
Darien stood and said, "Megan, Leila... come with me." The two women stood. Darien and Megan flanked Leila and headed for the exit of the restaurant as Hobbes headed for the old guy's table. As soon as the man noticed Leila was leaving, he stood.   
  
Hobbes drew his gun. "Federal agent! Don't move!" The man turned, raising his cane. The bottom dropped away, revealing the black hole of a gun barrel. Hobbes froze. "Aw, crap."  
  
The old guy fired. Hobbes dove out of the way, crashing into a table and destroying a couple of wicker chairs. The old man, realizing his cover was blown, began tearing at the prosthetics that covered his face and ran towards the restaurant's exit. Hobbes was immediately on his feet, running after the man. "I'm a federal agent! When I saw don't move, it means FREEZE, dumbass!"  
  
He hit the street in time to see the assassin jump into a car. Planting himself in the middle of the road, Hobbes raised his gun. The car pulled away from the curb, roaring right at Hobbes. Bobby grit his teeth and said, "Damn, damn, damn..." He squeezed his eyes shut and pulled the trigger.   
  
Tires squealed and Bobby waited to get slammed into... a collision that never came. He opened his eyes, only to see the car had swerved onto the sidewalk, taking out a parking meter and a mail box. Hobbes straightened his jacket and said, "You do NOT mess with Bobby Hobbes, my friend. You mess with me, you get burned. Badly."  



	3. The Third Chapter

  
Author's Note: There is one teeny, tiny inconsistency in this part. It's not major, it has nothing to do with the timeline of The Invisible Man, but it is wrong nonetheless. It's simply... the movie Darien and Megan go to see wasn't released until 1991. I simply rearranged it... after all, this is a world where a man can turn invisible. Why not earlier release dates for movies?   
  
  
Chapter 3  
  
  
  
The old man, who refused to give his real name, paced the length of the padded room and nervously checked his watch as he waited for someone to arrive to question him. On the other side of the glass, The Official and Hobbes stood, watching him pace. "Any clue on this guys agency, Hobbes?"  
  
"Sorry, sir. I'm thinking he may be a free agent."  
  
The Official grumbled, "Well that would make it hard to trace him, wouldn't it."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
The door opened and Eberts stumbled in, trying to hold several papers in place while holding three different files. He stopped behind the Official and said, "I ran this man's photo through several intelligence agencies; they know him as 'Le An'."  
  
Hobbes frowned. "LeAnn? Like LeAnn Rymes?"  
  
"No, Le An," Eberts repeated, enunciating this time. "It's French. It means The Ass."  
  
Hobbes and the Official both turned. "This guy's nom de plume," Bobby asked, "is the Ass?!"  
  
"Yes... He claimed all the good ones were taken. He's a master assassin. Wanted in more than seven political murders over the past decade."  
  
The Official smiled. "That means another fat reward..."  
  
"Maybe we'll actually see some of this one..."  
  
"Be quiet, Hobbes. Get in there and find out what you can from this guy." As Hobbes walked toward the door, the Official asked, "Any word from Fawkes?"  
  
"Nada, Chief."  
  
He walked out and then into the padded room. The An looked up and smirked. "American agent." His voice was devoid of any accent. With all of the make-up gone, he looked like any other non-descript man on the street. Hobbes sat in the sole chair and crossed his arms.  
  
"Who hired you?"  
  
"He is between The Caterpillar and the Butterfly."  
  
Hobbes frowned. "I don't know who they are... What government do they work for?"  
  
"The same one I do."  
  
"Which is?"  
  
"I will not divulge. I will only say that my employer is between the Butterfly and the Cater-pillar. You will get no more information out of me."  
  
Hobbes sighed and stood up, walking towards the door. He pulled it open, the turned to Le An. "Oh, and by the way, how's Allianora doing?"  
  
The assassin looked up, surprised.  
  
"You guys, uh... do work for the same Agency right? Chrysalis?"  
  
"How did you--"  
  
"Have a nice stay at Chez Hobbes." He winked and walked out.  
  
The Official and Eberts met him in the hall. The Official said, "How the hell did you pull that off?"  
  
"It was easy, chief. Between the caterpillar and the butterfly is the larvae state. During the larvae state, the caterpillar is encased in - what? - chrysalis. Bingo." He walked off and, as he passed, Eberts, muttered, "Can't believe you didn't pick up on that one... EBERTS..." He walked down the hall, chuckling to himself.  
  
---  
  
Leila stopped and grabbed ahold of Megan's arm for support. "Wait! Wait!"  
  
Darien and Megan stopped, turning. Leila was out of breath, holding her side. "I can't run any more... Let me catch my breath."  
  
Darien nervously watched the street, looking for any suspicious characters. Too bad Hobbes wasn't here... He mentally kicked himself for not noticing the old man in the cafe, but as Hobbes always reminded him, he was the rookie. Megan knelt next to Leila and looked back at Darien. "What's that thing on your arm?"  
  
Darien looked down and saw that she had seen the tattoo. It had four spaces to go before he went mad. "Uh, a tattoo I got when I was drunk."  
  
"Why's part of it red and part of it green?"  
  
"I... I don't know. I think I got it at Christmas."  
  
Leila stood and said, "Okay, we can go now." They began running... only to be cut off at the corner by a black sedan. The back door opened and a large man stepped out, brandishing a large gun. "Hello, Ms. Bach."  
  
"Darien? What's going on," the model asked.   
  
"A very big dude with a very big gun just stepped out of a car." He momentarily thought about quicksilvering, but he didn't have time to warn Megan. Knowing her she'd scream and being invisible wouldn't do them any good. Besides, he'd never quicksilvered three people at once; he was sure it would take more than four spaces....   
  
The man motioned at the car and said, "Get it, Leila." The driver had gotten out and walked around behind the car, opening the trunk. The gunman grabbed Darien by the arm and said, "In the trunk, hair-boy."  
  
"Hair-boy?"   
  
The man shoved Darien towards the driver and grabbed Megan. "Her too."  
  
The driver shoved Darien violently into the trunk, then picked Megan up like a rag doll and put her in too. He slammed the trunk lid.   
  
In the darkness, Darien shifted and tried to arrange himself so he wasn't directly underneath Megan. Unfortunately, the trunk was very small and his movement caused a tire iron to jab him painfully in the spine. He yelped and said, "Damn..."  
  
"Darien? Are... we going to die?"  
  
He suddenly realized that she was trembling against him. "No... No, Megan. Hobbes will get us out of this."  
  
"He's that good?"  
  
Darien smiled. "He's the Hawk."  
  
Megan laughed.  
  
~~~~~~  
1989  
~~~~~~  
  
Darien stood outside of the theater, nervously looking at the movie poster. Bruce Willis was hanging from a rope, smiling goofily at the camera. Megan wrapped her arm around Darien's neck. "Whatsa matter, Dar-Bear? Don't like Bruce Willis?"  
  
"Nah, he's okay. It's just... A cat burglar?"  
  
"What's wrong with a cat burglar?"  
  
"Seems kind of boring."  
  
"Trust me, it won't be boring." She dragged him over to the box office and said, "Two for 'Hudson Hawk', please."  
  
---  
  
On the sceen, Bruce Willis and Danny Aiello rolled down the hallway, scooting along quietly. Darien sighed and checked his watch. "How much longer does this movie last?"  
  
Megan chuckled. "Oh, about an hour and a half... Buck up, little soldier."  
  
On screen, Willis began singing, "Would you like to swing on a star... carry moonbeams home in a jar..."  
  
Darien rolled his eyes. "There's a reason nobody bought his CD... And whoever heard of a cat burglar singing while he's robbing a place?"  
  
"He's not that bad. Besides, what are you? An expert on cat burglary?"  
  
"I might be."  
  
---  
  
  
Darien leaned forward, popping another kernel of popcorn into his mouth. Megan smirked. "Like the movie, huh?"  
  
"Shhhh..."  
  
At the moment, Bruce Willis was having a little heart-to-heart with Andie MacDowell in her hotel room after she discovered he had robbed the Vatican. He looked out the window and solemnly said, "I'm just some guy who's good at swiping stuff. Who knew that would lead to this?"  
  
Darien raised an eyebrow. "That's a pretty good quote."  
  
"You like quotes, do ya?"  
  
"Orson Welles said 'Now we sit through Shakespeare just to recognize the quotations'. They're kind of a hobby for me."  
  
A man behind them hissed, "Shush!"  
  
Megan smiled and returned her attention to the movie.  
  
---  
  
Darien leaned against the doorframe of Megan's house and said, "That was fun... we should do it again sometime."  
  
"Sure," she smiled. "I'd like that. You know... I have a friend who would be perfect for you... Her name is Amy and..."  
  
"Whoa, whoa... What do you mean? I thought you and me--"  
  
"You and me were what? A couple?"  
  
"Well... call me stupid... but yeah."  
  
"Darien, you're a really sweet guy and I like you a lot. But as a friend. We're just not right for each other. You understand, right?"  
  
"No. No, I don't think I do. So what was this? This movie we just saw?"  
  
"That was payback for what I did. Geez, Darien... If I thought you thought this was a date, I would've never agreed."  
  
Darien sighed, running a hand through his long hair. "It's no problem, Megan. Look, I'll see you at school tomorrow." He headed down the sidewalk.  
  
"Darien! Darien, wait..."  
  
"No, it's okay. Really. I'm fine."  
  
He opened the door to his car and drove off, not looking back.  
  
~~~~~~  
Present Day  
~~~~~~  
  
Darien and Megan bumped heads as the car went over train tracks and turned a corner. In the dim light, he could see a smile on her face. "What could you possibly be smiling about now of all times?"  
  
"Championship game... You remember that?"  
  
"I tried to block it out."  
  
She chuckled. "You got a nice tush."  
  
"Well, thanks. Can we talk about something besides my ass, please?"  
  
The car came to a stop and they heard footsteps on gravel. "They're leaving us here?"   
  
The car started and Darien said, "Nope... Something tells me they've got plans for us." He began to wriggle around, working his arm around so he could reach behind himself.   
  
Megan chuckled, "I do believe you're getting fresh with me, Agent Fawkes."  
  
"No... just trying to... get ahold of..." He pulled his arm back, displaying his prize. The tire iron that had jabbed him earlier. "If you could kindly shift your weight to my right..." She moved partially off him and he slid out from under her. Holding the tire iron with both hands, he made a small jab against the lock of the trunk.   
  
No luck.  
  
He hit the lock several more times. After a minute or so of trying, the lock snapped and the trunk lid lifted slightly. He pushed up on it and daylight streamed into the small space. The car was speeding down a dirt road, leaving a large plume of smoke in it's wake. Darien grabbed Megan's hand and said, "We're going to have to jump."  
  
"Jump? Out of the car? Are you crazy?!"  
  
"Sometimes... On three. One. Two..."  
  
They jumped. Darien his the ground first and pulled his arm in, pulling Megan against him and holding her tightly. He hoped he would take the majority of the impacts. They rolled several feet, bouncing down the road. When they finally came to a stop, Darien stumbled to his feet and looked at the sedan. It had stopped.   
  
He watched as the driver threw his door open and stepped out with a very big gun. Darien grabbed Megan's hand and ran for the side of the road. As they ran, he said, "I'm about to do something very weird and the best thing for you to do is stay completely quiet until the man with the gun is gone. Got me?"  
  
Without waiting for her response, Darien slid down the embankment. When he hit the bottom, he coated himself and Megan with quicksilver.  
  
They sat quietly at the bottom of the incline... waiting. The driver of the sedan appeared, running right by them and into the desert. Once he was past, Darien stood and pulled Megan with him back to the sedan. He slammed the trunk lid down as he passed and flaked the quicksilver off, jumping into the car. Megan sat in the passenger seat and her quicksilver flaked as well. "What the hell..."  
  
"I'll explain later." He threw the car into gear and hit the gas, turning a tight U and heading back the way they'd come. In the rear view, they could see the driver running back to the road. Darien exhaled and looked at his tattoo. One space left... Claire hated it when he cut it close...   
  
"Um... How well can you keep a secret, Megan?" 


	4. Chapter the Fourth

  
  
~~~~~~~~~~Author's Note: Don't drink and drive, kids. It's just a fic.~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
Chapter 4  
  
  
  
"Okay... so this gland? There's only one?"  
  
"Yeah... at least I hope so. They don't exactly like to tell me the whole truth at the Agency where I work."  
  
"Sounds like a barrel of laughs."  
  
They had pulled off to the side of the road near the railroad tracks, where Darien was trying to find the building where Leila had been taken. There were a row of warehouses down the street and they could've dropped her off at any one of them. Darien sighed and stood in the middle of the road. "Okay... we were coming from that way," he pointed, "and when the car went over the tracks, I was bumped and we went against," he motioned with his body, "this side of the trunk wall, so the car was turning left, right?"  
  
"Right."  
  
"Right?"  
  
"No, I'm agreeing with you."  
  
"Oh. So, she's in one of those warehouses over there."  
  
"Seems like it would be the logical choice."  
  
Darien checked his tattoo and said, "Look, uh... we have to get back to the Agency right now. My gland thing has certain needs and if they aren't met... well, you wouldn't like the other me. I need to get a shot."  
  
They walked to the car and Megan nervously glanced over her shoulder. "I hope she's all right...."  
  
---  
  
Leila was sitting in the middle of a large room, her hands tied to the arms of the chair she was in. Her mouth was gagged. As they had been securing her, one of the guards had asked, "Should we blindfold her?" The other had replied, "No way. They don't call her the Bat for nothin'."   
  
Now, she was alone. At least, she thought she was. The entire room was filled with what she thought was pre-recorded white noise and it was throwing her off. She was completely helpless. It had been so long since she'd heard Darien or Megan. She feared the worst...  
  
For the first time since she was 11, she thought back to the car accident that had claimed her sight. She and her older brother Jake had been joy-riding and, unbeknownst to her, he had been drinking all night. She thought he was just being 'Fun Older Brother Jake'... until the car had lost control and her airbag failed to open.   
  
Now, without her sight, she was beginning to feel like a target in a world full of archers. Every loud noise was making her jump. Someone had tried to kill her in the restaurant earlier and now... now she was being held captive by them. She cried, praying that someone would come to her rescue soon.  
  
Suddenly, someone touched her hand. She jerked, trying to escape him, but he held onto her. He whispered, "The Chameleon is coming, my dear..."  
  
She mumbled around the gag. Her captor reached up and pulled the cloth away. "Claude is dead... Darien killed him!"  
  
"Claude? Come now... Claude was a patsy. But that's not the point. We have a new Chameleon now... a Chameleon no one will be able to escape from."  
  
~~~~~~  
1989, the prom  
~~~~~~  
  
Darien stood next to punch bowl, absently watching as the couples danced together on the gym floor to the tune of Frankie Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You." He felt someone come up behind him, but didn't bother to look.   
  
"Hi, stranger."  
  
Darien turned. "Oh... Hey, Megan. Having a nice time? Where's uh... Uruguay?"  
  
"In another country. If you're asking about my date... Elsiday is over there. He's from Brazil, not Uruguay."  
  
"I could care less. Why aren't you dancing with him?"  
  
"He still thinks it's weird for women to be showing this much skin."  
  
Darien looked over Megan's trim form; she was wearing a low-cut evening gown and had her hair permed and hanging over her shoulders. "Wow... you're..."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Where's your date?"  
  
"Didn't you hear? I thought I was the joke of the school."  
  
"Well... you kind of are. I didn't want to bring it up."  
  
Darien sighed. Two days before the prom, his steady girlfriend Stacey, had broken up with him without any warning. The weird thing was, while he had no idea why she had ended it, he had a weird feeling that everyone else at school knew what it was. Whenever he mentioned Stacey they just laughed and changed the subject.  
  
"You don't know why she's cheating on me, do you?"  
  
"Can't say as I do," Megan smiled, turning away.   
  
"So... where you going after the prom?"  
  
"I don't know... there are some parties across town, but I'm kinda bushed. Maybe I'll just head home."  
  
"That sounds fun. Actually, I was thinking about heading home myself."  
  
"Well, have fun."  
  
"I'll try."  
  
---  
  
Darien grumbled as he reached down to pick up the keys which had fallen from his hands. He fumbled with the keyring for a moment, looking for the right key. Even though there were only two on the ring, he had trouble deciding which one would open his car door. He'd spiked the punch a little TOO well and he was paying for it.   
  
He managed to unlock the door when he heard someone calling his name. He turned, in his inebriated state, and saw Megan running from the gym door, holding her high heels in her hand. He noticed the right shoulder strap of her dress had been broken. "Megan? Wha' happ'ned?"  
  
"Nothing," she said, getting into his car. "Could you just drive me home?"  
  
"Sure." He climbed in and started the car. "I shoul' tell you... I'm a little drunk."  
  
"Just go, Darien. Please?"  
  
Darien started the car and pulled out of the gym parking lot.  
  
After a few minutes, Megan said, "Don't take me home."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You know where Schaffer's Lake is?"  
  
"Yeah... I've been there a coupla times..."  
  
"Go there."  
  
---  
  
Darien parked his car next to Schaffer's Lake, where he had parked countless times with his ex, Stacey. He rubbed his face and said, "You doin' okay?"  
  
"Fine," she muttered.  
  
"What happened to Alpoday?"  
  
"Elsiday. He... Nothing. He just couldn't take me home."  
  
Darien leaned back, looking at the moonlight in the water. "Did he try something? Is that why your dress is torn?"  
  
Megan stifled a sob and turned her face away from Darien, looking out the window. "Megan... Come on... What happened?"  
  
"I told him that... it was okay for women here to show more skin than in his country. I said it was no big deal. So he kind of joked about it and asked if that meant he could show more skin and I said yes... so he tried to show more skin."  
  
"Aw, crap... what'd he do?"  
  
"He tried to tear my dress off... When I tried to back off, he grabbed me and pulled at it some more. He just kept laughing like it was a joke, but he almost got it off..."  
  
Darien winced and said, "Are you all right?"  
  
"It'll be fine. Fine... I got away. I just need time to, uh... process it." She wiped her eyes and sniffled.   
  
Darien reached over and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Megan. Really." She laid her head on his shoulder, trying to calm herself down. He stroked her hair and reached forward, turning on the radio. The Everly Brother began to sing softly.  
  
*Ooh, my love... my darling,  
I hunger for your touch  
A long, lonely time  
And time goes by so slowly  
And time can do so much...  
Are you still mine?*  
  
Megan looked up into Darien's eyes and lightly pressed her lips against his cheek. "Thank you, Dar-Bear."  
  
He smiled. "No problem."  
  
She kissed him again, their lips meeting for the first time since their meeting atop the high school roof. He pulled her closer to him and increased the intensity of the kiss.  
  
*I need your love... I need your love  
Godspeed your love to me  
Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea  
To the open arms of the sea  
Lonely rivers sigh wait for me, wait for me  
I'll be coming home, wait for me*  
  
Darien slid his hand down Megan's arm, feeling the goosebumps that had formed there. She was tugging at his suit jacket, trying to get it off his shoulders.   
  
*Ooh, my love, my darling  
I've hungered, hungered for your touch  
A long, lonely time...*  
  
Megan pulled back from the kiss, working at the buttons on Darien's shirt. He looked at her, then noticed the tear on her dress. He turned his attention to her beautiful face... her beautiful, tear-stained face. He reached down and took ahold of her hands. "Megan, stop..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I... I can't do this. I can't do this after what you've been through."  
  
"God... Darien... This is what you've wanted, isn't it? You've wanted me, right?"  
  
"Of course, Megan. But I'm drunk, you're in shock... this isn't right."  
  
She leaned back in her seat, staring out the windshield. "Will you please take me home?"  
  
Darien sighed and started the car.  
  
By the time they got to Megan's house, she leaned over and pecked him on the cheek. "Thank you, Dar-Bear. You're right."  
  
He smiled and said, "Uh... you're dress is still a little ripped." He turned in his seat and reached into the back, feeling around on the floor until he found what he was searching for. He pulled his baseball jersey into the front seat and handed it to her. "Here. Put this on."  
  
"It's not sweaty and gunky, is it?"  
  
"Nah... you've seen the games. I'm just the benchwarmer."  
  
She put the shirt on, buttoning it all the way, and kissed Darien's cheek again. "I'll see you Monday?"  
  
"Count on it."  
  
~~~~~~  
Present Day  
~~~~~~  
  
As Claire gave Darien the shot, Hobbes was telling his partner what he had learned. "He works for Chrysalis... We haven't heard from Waterlung yet, so I'm assuming she's not involved."  
  
"A little good news... for once."  
  
"We finally got the location of the warehouse outta him. We found out that she's being held at this abandoned warehouse where Chrysalis does most of it's work. You ready to go kick some terrorist ass?"  
  
Darien grabbed his jacket and said, "Always."  
  
As they were leaving the lab, Megan said, "Oh, and... about the prom?"  
  
"I know. Stacey Meyer was cheating on me."  
  
"How'd you find out?"  
  
"This agency does it's research really, really well...."  



	5. Five, Chapter Five

  
  
  
Chapter 5  
  
  
  
Darien and Hobbes sat on the dirt road next to the van. Hobbes checked his gun and glanced behind him at Megan. "She, uh... know about the quicksilver?"  
  
"Yeah," Darien muttered.  
  
"All right... that'll make this easier. Okay, when we get up there near the warehouse, you shoom and cause a distraction on the north side of the building. Meanwhile, I'll be sneaking in through the west."  
  
"Why the west?"  
  
"Because, if the distraction comes from the north, they'll assume entry on the southern end. We'll fake them out on both sides. I sneak in and cause a distraction on the inside. When I have their attention, you go in through the north and grab Leila, quicksilver her, and get the hell out."  
  
"What about you?"  
  
Bobby finished loading his gun and snapped it, stuffing it into the waistband of his pants. "I can handle myself, Fawkes. You just grab the girl and get out."  
  
Megan, sitting in the driver's seat of the van, asked, "What am I supposed to do?"  
  
"Stay here, keep your head down and try not to draw attention to yourself. Ready, Fawkes?"  
  
"As I'll ever be." They rose and headed toward the warehouse indicated by Le An. As they slinked off down the road, Megan quietly got out of the van and followed at a safe distance.  
  
---  
  
The kidnapper sat on the edge of the table, watching Leila. "You're assistant, Megan. Tell me about her."  
  
"How do you know about her?"  
  
"I know lots of things about her, Ms. Bach. I know that she was the focus of a rather nasty news story a few years ago in New York... What was that?"  
  
"That was a total lie. Megan told me everything; the newspapers blew it out of proportion."  
  
The kidnapper laughed. "This from the woman who trusted The Chameleon for two years. You'd think you would be a little more gullible than that." He slid off the desk and knelt in front of her. "Such a pretty face... with such an awful flaw." He ran his finger down her cheek and grimaced. "Such a waste... How did you lose your sight?"  
  
She kept her mouth tightly shut.  
  
"You weren't born blind... I know that... Which means that sometime during your childhood, something happened to you that made you turn out the lights...."  
  
~~~"Daddy! The car!....." Tires screeching on the pavement, headlights impossibly bright, the last thing she ever saw was her father's terrified face as the truck slammed into them~~~  
  
The kidnapped slapped her face. "Why didn't they just kill you? Such a horrible waste of beauty." He stood and walked across the floor of the warehouse. "How long has it been?"  
  
"Two hours, sir," the guard reported.  
  
"Damn... What's taking them so long?"  
  
"No clue, sir."  
  
The leader sat again, drumming his fingers on the hard surface of the table. "Thirty minutes and I kill her. To hell with the plan."  
  
---  
  
Darien squatted next to the door on the north side of the building and coated himself with quicksilver. He found a trashcan and several wooden planks lying around in the debris. He picked up a plank and tested the weight and strength of it. Moving the trashcan so that it was standing up a few feet from the wall, Darien reared back with the plank and swung like a major league ball player.   
  
The trash can dented with the impact and was hurled against the side of the building. The concrete chunks inside clattered and fell to the floor, shattering on impact. The entire north side of the building shook. Darien dropped the plank and remained frozen.  
  
---  
  
Hobbes heard the ruckus on the other side of the building and quietly pushed the west door open. He slipped in and immediately hit the ground. He saw three guards heading for the north door, guns drawn. The side of the building Hobbes was on was covered with old junk; piles and piles of garbage were being held at bay by very weak chicken wire.   
  
He scanned the ceiling where the wire ended. He mentally counted the number of shots he would need; three would be enough to take out the chicken wire. All he had to do was shoot the posts that were holding it up and the weak wire would collapse. There were at least five goons he would have to hold off... maybe two each. That left him one bullet short.  
  
He examined the area in which he was confined. He suddenly got a very good idea. He picked up an old tin box, looked at it for a moment, then dropped it. It clattered against the concrete of the floor and echoed through the entire building.   
  
The goons turned their attention away from the north door and immediately headed for the chicken wire. Hobbes cocked his gun.  
  
He heard the wire rattle as a goon grabbed ahold of it and Bobby struck. He fired three shots at the posts he'd mentally marked earlier. The chicken wire collapsed, as expected, but instead of just making noise, the falling junk collapsed atop four of the five goons.   
  
Bobby jumped up and fired twice in the direction of the last goon standing. He sped across the floor, firing as he went, and finally reached a flight of wooden stairs that led to a second story. He scurried up, keeping his head covered as he ran.   
  
---  
  
Darien heard the clatter and snuck in through the north door. Staying low to the ground as he entered, he saw a pile of garbage to his right, and Leila sitting in the middle of the room, tied to a chair. A man was standing next to her, appearing to watch Hobbes with interest as the agent scurried up a flight of stairs across from Darien's current position. Darien recognized him immediately as Jared Stark, the man Darien assumed was in charge of Chrysalis.  
  
At the back of his mind, Darien wondered, 'Why isn't he shooting at Hobbes?'  
  
He made his way across the floor and pondered how to knock out Stark. Unfortunately, he shouldn't have worried. The situation never came up.  
  
The south door flew open and Megan walked in. Darien muttered, "Aw, crap."  
  
Stark looked at her and said, "Chameleon."  
  
She raised a small box and hit a button. Shockwaves spread through the warehouse, causing the walls to shake violently. As they hit Darien, he felt every bone in his body quaking. He fell to the floor, clutching his head as a 6.8 earthquake roared between his ears. Stark applauded. "Well done, Chameleon."  
  
Megan simply shut the device off and lowered her head slightly.  
  
Her boss laughed. "Remarkable. Mr. Fawkes, pleasure to see you again. Meet the new Chameleon. Completely and utterly untraceable."  
  
Darien groaned, "How's that?"  
  
"The Chameleon is now a small device implanted at the base of the skull. It is completely inactive until I turn it on. At that point, the host ceases to exist and the Chameleon takes their place. After the mission, the host awakens with no memory of what happened. The perfect assassin... and there are currently nineteen hosts equipped with the Chameleon chip. All of whom are at my whim."  
  
"What happens if these people, these hosts, get killed?"  
  
"Then their families are notified and the official story is that they went insane," he smiled. "It's the perfect crime."  
  
"You keep saying that. What's to keep me and Hobbes from going to the authorities and... oh, I get ya... You're gonna kill us."  
  
"You're very astute, Mr. Fawkes."  
  
Darien stood. "How do you deactivate one of these Chameleon chips?"  
  
"You kill the host."  
  
"Remove it."  
  
"It would, again, kill the host."  
  
"Then destroy the controlling device."  
  
"You're asking me to do the impossible, Mr. Fawkes. It would be easier if you would just accept your fate."  
  
Leila quietly asked, "What's going on?"  
  
"Don't worry, Leila," Darien said. "It's gonna be okay."  
  
Stark smiled. "The nightmares that Ms. Winters has been having are caused by a glitch in the chip. It's the only glitch we've found so far."  
  
Darien spotted Hobbes on the second level, quietly making his way across a narrow walkway. He had grabbed ahold of a rope and was testing it's strength. Darien said, "So, Stark... Where's this control?"  
  
Stark held up a small hand-held device. "Right here."  
  
Hobbes leapt off the walkway and swung in a low arch toward Stark. Darien jumped out of the way, grabbing Leila as he went. Stark turned just in time to see Hobbes' loafers as they hit him square in the chest. They rolled across the cement floor and landed in the pile of garbage. Darien ran over, grabbing the control from Stark's hand. "Good job, Hobbes."  
  
Bobby sat up and grumbled, "Actually I was just trying to grab the control box."  
  
"Well either way... you did good." He turned and hit a button on the box.  
  
Megan blinked and looked around. "Darien? Bobby? Leila? What's goin' on? Where's the van?"  
  
Darien sighed and said, "We have something to tell you, Megan."  
  
Bobby pulled Stark out of the garbage and handcuffed him. "I'll leave you two guys alone. Come on, buddy." He led Stark out of the warehouse.  
  
---  
  
Claire sighed and pulled her bloody rubber gloves off. Darien stood. "Well? Any luck?"  
  
A smile crept across Claire's lips. "The chip was removed. It was a success. Unfortunately, there are still nineteen chips out there... we've reproduced the control box taken from Stark and distributed them amongst the major law enforcement agencies. It shouldn't be too large of a problem."  
  
The Official nodded and turned to Darien. "We managed to deliver Le An and Jared Stark to a local law enforcement agency... the FBI." He laughed, "Looks like we're getting a big, fat reward."  
  
Hobbes entered and only heard the last end. "Great! We gonna see any of this one?"  
  
The Official said, "Actually, we were planning a little three-day weekend for the both of you."   
  
Hobbes' face visibly lightened, but then Eberts spoke, "Unfortunately, most of the reward will have to be given to the San Diego Recycling Commitee."  
  
"What?! Why?"  
  
"The garbage which you so callously spilled all over the warehouse was SDRC property. They had to completely reinventory their possessions thanks to your destruction."  
  
Hobbes grumbled. "There's always something..."  
  
Darien asked, "What about Leila?"  
  
Eberts glanced at the Official. "She has quit her job modelling. The entire incident has traumatized her something awful and... she said he heart isn't in the pictures any more."  
  
Darien lowered his head. "It's a damn shame." He stuck his hands in his back pockets and headed for the door.  
  
Claire asked, "Darien? Don't you want to see Megan?"  
  
"Uh... have her stop by after she's recovered from surgery, 'kay?" He waved good-bye and left the building. 


	6. Epilogue

  
  
  
  
  
Epilogue  
  
  
Megan stood in the doorway to Darien's apartment, her skin pale and her normally vibrant hair had lost it's luster. Thanks to the location of the chip, none of her hair had been shaved and the bandage was hidden at the base of her neck. She hugged herself and looked up into Darien's eyes. "Hi."  
  
He stepped out of her way and said, "You wanna come in?"  
  
She entered, taking her jacket off. "Darien... I just wanted to say... I'm sorry."  
  
"There's nothing to be sorry about, Meg," he said, closing the door and coming up behind her. "You were used against your will. Do you even know when they put the chip in?"  
  
"I went to the hospital for an appendectomy a few months back. They could have possibly put it in then, but... God, Darien... I was their puppet for so long. I terrorized a wonderful woman and completely without my knowing it."  
  
He put his hands on her shoulders, softly rubbing them. "You remember the last time we talked? Graduation?"  
  
Megan smiled slightly. "How can I forget?"  
  
~~~~~~  
Graduation Day  
~~~~~~  
  
"Darien Gabriel Fawkes." He stepped forward and took the red book, shook the hand of his principal, and proceeded down the steps. As he returned to his seat, he spotted Megan sitting in the back, with the Ws. He hadn't seen her since prom night. She smiled at him and winked, then mouthed something. He frowned and mouthed 'What?'  
  
She repeated 'You're busted.'  
  
A shiver ran down his spine. The glint in her eye, the impish curl of her lips... she was up to something and he wasd definitely in trouble.   
  
The fear began to ebb when they reached the Ts, but then Morgan was standing next to the stage. It was almost time for her to go up. Darien scanned the audience. Several rows of black caps faced him. He noted that several students had decorations on them; drawings, declarations of love for a significant other.  
  
"Megan Beckett-Winters."  
  
She shook the principal's hand, then turned her back to the audience.   
  
Darien froze.  
  
On the top of her cap was a full-color shot of him, wearing the bear-head, running bare-assed across the football field. The shot made famous at their high school after that game. She turned back to face the audience and yanked her robe open. She was wearing a long, white T-shirt on which was written: The Bare Bear was Darien Fawkes!  
  
The kids grew silent.  
  
The faculty seemed to visually steam.  
  
Parents watching the proceedings gasped.  
  
And Darien Fawkes felt three inches tall.  
  
He had been busted.  
  
---  
  
"Did you have to out me," he asked later, standing outside his house.   
  
Megan stroked his cheek. "You're cute, Darien. Maybe I should have asked you out for real."  
  
"Maybe we can rent Hudson Hawk sometime."  
  
Megan smiled. "I'd like that."  
  
There was a long pause, while Darien looked down at his dress shoes. They were scuffed and one of the tassles was completely missing. He finally looked up and said, "I love you."  
  
Megan didn't even pause. "I think I should go."  
  
"Wha... did you hear what I just sa--"  
  
"I heard you, Darien. I just don't want to hear it." She took his hand and tenderly rubbed the knuckles. "I'm going to college in New York in the fall. You'll be here and... and I'll be there. Long distance relationships never work."  
  
"Sure they do... they always..."  
  
She kissed him lightly on the cheek. "No. Just... let's end it here." She released his hand and went to her car.   
  
He watched as she drove off into the night. Her tail lights flashed at the end of the block and she turned. Darien Fawkes brushed his eyes, surprised to find them wet.  
  
~~~~~~  
Present Day  
~~~~~~  
  
"That was the last time I saw you."  
  
"Yeah... I've missed you Dar-Bear." She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Have any music we can listen to?"  
  
He reached over her shoulder and hit the button on the radio. Softly, the song "A Whiter Shade of Pale" began to play. Megan laid her head on his shoulder and murmured, "Mmm... I love this song."  
  
*We skipped a light fandango  
Turned cartwheels 'cross the floor   
I was feeling kind of seasick   
But the crowd called out for more*  
  
Darien began to sway to the music, holding Megan tightly to him. As they danced, Megan raised her head and looked into his eyes. "I won't leave you again, Darien. I promise."  
  
*The room was humming harder  
As the ceiling flew away  
When we called out for another drink   
The waiter brought a tray*  
  
He bent down and kissed her, a long and sensuous kiss that lasted well into the night.  
  
  
~end~ 


End file.
